


Louder Than Your Love

by just_plain_fanfics



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, lance is avoiding keith, this takes place right before the final battle in season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-10-31 22:28:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10908717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_plain_fanfics/pseuds/just_plain_fanfics
Summary: Lance has been anxiously avoiding Keith, so Keith confronts him.





	Louder Than Your Love

Lance is nervous. So, so nervous. Today is the day they are going into battle, and they’re going to finish things with Zarkon once and for all. But what if he messes up? Drags the whole team down? What if everything goes wrong because of something he does? He knows its stupid, getting himself worked up won’t help anything, but he can’t help it. He thinks back to all those times when he messed up, cause the team to nearly lose, or even worse, get hurt. Lance tries desperately to distract himself, finding immense interest in the pattern of the blanket he was wrapped in, tracing the pattern with his finger. He was supposed to be sleeping, getting rest for the big day tomorrow. If he was too tired the next day, it could really cost the team. This thought only spurs his anxiety forwards, making sleep next to impossible. It’s a vicious cycle, one he has to break soon, but doesn’t know how.

Lance sits up in bed, kicking off the covers and swinging his legs over the side. Might as well do something if he was up. He decides on a middle-of-the-night walk. He opens his door and slips out, starting down the dark corridor. It was deafeningly silent. No movement whatsoever could be heard, Lance bet that even Keith had the common sense to sleep. Looks like Keith really is better than him in every way. As much as he wants to, Lance can’t hate Keith for it. It’s not his fault anyways, Lance was just jealous, and maybe slightly proud. Lance sighs to himself, not bothering to turn the lights on as he enters the kitchen. He drinks some water, if his skin was going to suffer from lack of sleep he could at least try to save it with a drink. He slides down to the floor, unsure why but the bar stools of the kitchen just seem to open right now. Instead, he presses himself against the island, hidden from sight. 

He doesn’t remember falling asleep, but when he comes to, the kitchen floor is where Lance finds himself. Oddly enough, there’s a beige blanket draped over him at an awkward angle, which definitely wasn’t there before he fell asleep. Groaning, Lance moves to get up, freezing when he hears a voice. Coincidentally, the voice of the person he’s been hiding from the past week. 

It had been a few months ago that Lance had started realizing his feelings towards Keith. Initially, this hadn’t been a problem. He just continued teasing the shorter boy, but this time blushing whenever Keith so much as glanced his direction. It got worse when the plans for the final battle came up. Lance had always been very protective, being around younger siblings did that, but this was awful. Before anything had even been planned, Lance was sure he’d fuck up somehow. He knew it was childish, but he really didn’t want Keith to get hurt. Especially if it was his fault. So, he ran. Lance tried to ignore his feelings by ignoring the person causing them, which meant avoiding Keith whenever he could. It wasn’t very hard to avoid Keith, he spent almost all his time on the training deck, but somehow Lance still managed to run into him. Quick excuses worked for the most part, but Lance could tell that Keith was worried. Well, probably not worried. Most likely, Keith was just annoyed.

“Good morning, princess. Did you sleep well?” The mocking voice still sends Lance blushing, and he looks to the side, trying to ignore the mullet-shaped shadow hanging over him. 

“H-huh? Ah, yeah. Sorry, I’ll just leave.” Lance tries a pathetic attempt at getting up, but as he struggles to gain balance Keith merely pushes him back down. 

“Nope, don’t think so. You’re going to stay right here and tell me why you’re avoiding me.” A wave of dread washes over Lance, and he shivers. 

“I wasn’t avoiding you!” Lance tries to play it off, but he can tell Keith doesn’t believe it.

“Uh huh, that’s why you always ran out as soon as you could, and are never in the same room as me for longer than you have to be? Do you think I’m stupid?” Keith sighs, and Lance bites his lip in frustration. Keith probably hates him now. 

“Do you really hate me that much?” Lance is startled by the question. Is that what Keith thinks? Too shocked to answer, Lance just stares incredulously at Keith. Keith stares back, a hurt look clouding his face. Lance’s heart feels heavy.

“N-no!” Lance starts, but he can’t find the words to explain. 

“And to think I liked someone like you.” Keith’s words sting, full of venom and hate. Lance reels back, shocked and hurt. Keith hastily stalks out of the room. 

“Wa-wait! Keith!” But Keith is already out the door. Lance is a bit slower to get up, his legs shaking and palms sweating, but he rushes to chase after Keith. The blanket lays forgotten on the floor.

He can’t find him. You’d think it be easy, that Keith would be on the training deck like always, but this time Lance rushes in to find emptiness. Where else would Keith go? Gritting his teeth, Lance runs back down the hall he came from. After another hour or so of searching, Lance finds himself at the observation deck in defeat. A sigh makes him jump. 

“Jesus!” Lance exclaims loudly, whipping his head to the left wall. Keith leans against it, the hint of an amused smile on his face. 

“Keith! I was looking all over for you!” Lance gasps finally catching his breath.

“Oh? Why? You wanted to come tease me? Make fun of me?” 

“What the fuck?! No! You don’t get to just tell people things like that and walk away! Especially not with such a big misunderstanding!” Lance whisper-yells, trying to keep his voice low. Keith snorts.

“Misunderstandings? What misunderstandings?”

“Well I’ll tell you if you just listen to to me for a minute!” Another sigh from the red paladin.

“Alright, I’m listening.” Lance lets out a small breath in relief. 

“I don’t hate you.” 

“Well, that’s great to know, Lance.” Keith’s voice is dripig with sarcasm. 

“Why are you making this so difficult?! I just want to tell you I love you, but you won’t listen!” Lance’s eyes prick with tears, and he wills himself not to cry. His hands are shaking and balled into fists, white at the knuckles. 

“What…?” Keith's voice trails off. Then his gaze hardens again. “Then why did you avoid me Lance, it fucking hurt.” Keith voice breaks, and Lance can’t hold in a sob. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I was so scared. I didn’t- I don’t want to loose you in this battle. I’m not strong enough to protect you. I’m so weak, Keith.” Lance’s voice is hoarse by the end of it, scratchy and raw. 

“I don’t need protection- shit, I mean. You are strong enough, Lance. I trust you with my life. We’re a team, remember?” Lance lets out another sob, and runs at Keith, flying into his open arms. The two stay there for a moment, held in each other’s warmth. The faint sound of sniffles is muffled by Keith’s shirt. 

“I’m sorry. I- I’m sorry, Keith. I really, really, like you.” 

“I like you too, dumbass.” Lance squeezes Keith even tighter. 

“I’m just- I’m so afraid. I don’t want anything to happen to you. Or the others.” Lance is breathless, leaning into Keith’s chest. He feels Keith’s sharp intake of breath.

“Nothing will happen Lance.” Keith tries to keep his voice steady. “I will make sure of it.” Despite all his fears, Lance finds himself believing Keith’s words. He brings his head up and meets Keith’s eyes. 

“I’m sorry.” A breathless whisper. 

“Stop apologizing.” Keith gently touches the back of his hand to Lance’s cheek. Lance feels his own breath hitch. Leaning in to meet Keith, Lance closes his eyes and tilts his head so their lips interlock. It’s short, but it’s sweet. Keith pulls back in surprise and Lance wonders if he’s overstepped. But then Keith smiles. Lance’s heart feels like it’s going to beat out of his chest, and he’s got butterflies in his stomach for another whole reason now. Keith leans in again, this time not hesitating to return the affectionate action. 

“I like you a lot, Mullet. Promise me you won’t die?” 

“Only if you do the same.” Keith places another gentle kiss on Lance’s soft lips. Who knew he could be so altruistic? He mutters something that sounds like ‘I like you a lot too’ and Lance beams. 

They spend the rest of the night looking at the stars through the observatory window.

**Author's Note:**

> 'nothing will go wrong' lmao tell that to shiro


End file.
